2016: Alaa Quarishi

Design practices focusing on establishing social connections can easily lose sight of various pressures dissuading us from initial interactions. This design research introduces the idea of an object as an interactive mediator. Rather than being forced to interact with a stranger as a way to complete worldly tasks of the day, this project creates spontaneous playful interactions among distinct users. Investigating ideas of permeability, and asymmetry the design prototypes traversed scales, materials, and orientations. The current iteration is experienced by rolling oneself underneath an elastic barrier in which suspended wooden pegs roll over one’s face and hands before clanking back into a grid. Future research will focus on methods to further immerse the user in the experience. [Project Report]